Extended family relationships can be wonderful, and they can be hard!
In today’s episode of Best of Both Worlds, Sarah and I talk through this topic, based on conversations and tips from dozens of listeners. We talk through common challenges like traveling for the holidays, how much childcare relatives will do, who “owns” and manages the relationships, and so forth.
We also ask what role we envision ourselves playing in 20 years or so when our kids are all adults. How will we navigate extended family ties then?
In the Q&A, a listener with young kids asks about the logistics of doing remote work in a different location over the summer.
Please give the episode a listen, and as always we welcome ratings and reviews.
I am in the phase now that y’all are looking ahead toward – and we recently decided that every year we will rent a house on Flathead Lake for a vacation with our adult offspring and their partners/friends. We pay for the house and coordinate ground transportation but everyone pays for their own flights and shares food cost and prep. Each person or pair is responsible for one dinner for the group. Other meals and snacks are a fairly random combo of communal/personal. Last year we had two kids, a girlfriend, and a friend plus my cousin and her wife. This year we rented a smaller house, so no cousins but we’ve got three of our kids and a (different) girlfriend coming. I think that as time goes by and it becomes more of a “thing” we’ll end up having all four kids come more often than not, but they all have work demands and other constraints, so we’ll see!